Dear Chatham Families,
At Chatham CSD, the health and safety of our students is always top of mind, so I wanted to take a moment to discuss the potential dangers posed by excessive screen time. While technology offers us many benefits, such as educational resources and opportunities to connect with one another, too much of a good thing can become, well, not so good of a thing. Recent studies have drawn a strong correlation between excessive screen use and an alarming variety of health concerns affecting children and adolescents today. These include anxiety, obesity, social and cognitive developmental delays, attention problems, and disrupted sleep patterns, to name just a few.
Of course, screens are here to stay, so to help reduce these risks, I encourage you to help your child establish healthy screen habits. As a parent myself, I know this can be a challenge because smart devices are just about everywhere these days. Here are some resources you may find helpful:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/screen-time/art-20047952
https://www.healthyscreenhabits.org/tools
https://www.internetmatters.org/issues/screen-time/
These represent just a fraction of the information available to parents and caretakers online, so I encourage you to explore other resources as well.
By fostering a balanced relationship with technology, we can help our children develop healthy habits that will benefit them in all aspects of their lives.
Sincerely,
Andrew Kourt
Superintendent of Schools